William alford merrick



March 31. 1925. 1,531,868

W. A. MERRICK BURNER oNTRoL Filed June 16, 1924 A TTORNEY' Patented Mar.. 3l 1925;,

BURNER. CONTROL.

Application le Enne 16, 1924.

To whom t may comen Be it lrnoivn that l, lVILLAM LFORD Mnnnicn, a citizen of the United States and resident of Los Angeles, in the county of 5 Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful improvements in a Burner Control, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for shutting olf the supply of fuel to a burner when either the teni erature of abody heated thereby has reache a selected maximum or when a lpilot light'has become extinguished. The present invention is more especially adaptable for use with a Water heater having a burner of gaseous fuel. n such installations, it is common practice to have a burner which is lighted from a pilot upon lgas being admitted to the main burner. The burner may be automatically or manually controlled, as desired. lf the pilot light becomes extinguished, gas admitted to the main burner, Will escape from the burner into the combustion chamber, and from thence into the room. ltis obvious that the escape of gas in this manner is disagreeable and dangerous, and that the application of a light may cause an explosione The primary object of this invention is to provide a control which Will shut `off 'the fuel supply upon the pilot light becoming eitinguished.

In Water heaters, it is desirahle to device which will automatically ahnt cit the burner, upon the temperature o2 e reaching a maximum degree., .aneth-em ject of this invention is to provide a c which is also actnable by 'the heat-f, `:vater in reaching a selectec. .r um value.

Serial No. 720,247?.

for seating upon seat 5. Secured to the valve stein is a washer 9, and interposed between the Washer and the crown ofthe cage is a compression spring 10, which tends to seat the valve disk. i

Secured to the valve cage 4 is a housing consisting of an elongated chamber portion 11 closed at the end by a plug 12 and provided with an internally threaded boss 14;, forming a discharge outlet. The discharge 14E is adapted to be connected to fittings leading to a. burner. A boss 15 having an internally threaded bore is adapted to be connected to a pipe leading to the pilot, and a boss 16 is provided for the passage of a thermostat member into the chamber. A lever 17 is pivotally mounted within the chamber and has an end 18 ada ted to be disposed infront ofthe stem 7. compression spring 19 is interposed between the bottom Wall of the chamber and the lever 17, tending to force the latter upwardly. An abutment screw 2O limits the upward movement of the lever so that in its upper position the extension 18 is in line With the valve stem..

A pipe 21 is threaded into boss 15 and has mounted upon the top thereof a pilot head 22 having openings 2S through which the gaspmerges. A perforate plug 24 is mounted at the top of pipe 21 and has secured rthereto a red'Q formed of a material having' a coeicient of expansion less than that of the pipe rlhe rod 25 engages lever 1'?.v

1e p when 'th 'therV fr l.lot light burning, the heat will cause expansion. of pipe 21 to a position'such as shown in Fig. "ih

` 1 1' lever 1"? s? 'e so arranged and adjusted that 5 taining` the heated Water.

which is journalled in the sides of the chainber 11 and has an operating handle 27 on the outside of the chamber. ly turning handle 2?, the crank 26 inay be inoved to engage the Washer 9 and force the stein 7 inwardly and the valve 8 troni its seat. Springv 19 vfill restore the lever 1'? to its open position, upon rod 25 being retracted. rl`his iS accomplished by lighting the pilot, which causes expansion ot tube 21 and retraction kof rod Q5.

Mounted in boss 16 is a packing gland 28, through which slidably extends a thermostat rod 29. rl`he rod Q9 is adapted to be fixed at its upper end to a tank conlfhe parts are so arranged, that, below the critical niaxiinuin temperature desired, rod Q9 is so positioned as to perniit lever 1'? to be disposed in the position shown in Fig. 1. aUpon the critical temperature being` approached, rod 2S expands and inoves lever 17 so that end 18 is moved avvay 1from the stein This will permit sprinpY 10 to close valve disk 8 upon its seat and shut ott the flow ot gas. `When the temperature of tank has decreased su'iliciently, and rod 29 retracted so that lever 1'? can be nioved 'to its open position, handle 2,7 is inoved so as to lift valve disk 8 upon its seat. Spring 19, will then restore lever 1( to its open position.

ln storage heaters, wherein the supply ot fuel to a burner is controlled by a tlwrn niostat, the Water in the storage tank be maintained at a substantially selected te l. perature, gas is admitted to the inain bur upon the temperature et the `water in storage heater dropping, to the lower linnt` lf the pilot light has heroine extinguis d. and the gas is turned on, it is obvious a dangerous condition is created. laiy piltt control Will prevent the tingninp; on oi. the gas to the burner when the pilot is tinguished. The control tips a v. trol by ineans of a t rlhe saine trigger arrar by the inaxiinuin tempo provides a safety also be useful in eases here it .is to heat Water in a tank to a desired 'te perature Without attention alter tl has been L 'ller'l 1 q'hted. i uses to v nich the vvhich will Ibe ob i-eus the art.

'illhat claim is:

' device the pted to be connecte L' the combinati i trolling` 'ging the ga static inernber a-HL pilot yand upon eatin tra Laereee and a therinostatic meinber actuated by the heat ot' the tank arranged to trip said trigged upon the tanks temperature reaching a selected inaxiniun'i value.

2. A device of the character described adapted to be connected to a tank co1nprising the combination of a pilot light, a gas valve having a stein, resilient nieans tending to close said valve, a trigger lever disposed so that it inay engage said stein and hold said valve in open position, resilient means tending to hold said lever in open position., a therniostatic rneinber act-uated by the heat of said pilot light connected to said lever and arranged to trip the latter upon extinguishnient of said pilotf light and thereby effect the closure of said valve, and a thermostatic rneinber actuated by the heat of the tank connected 'to said lever and arranged to trip the lever upon the tanks temperature reaching a selected inazriinuni value.

3. A. device of the character described comprising the combination ot' a pilot light having a fuel supply tube and a burner head, a gas valve having a stein, resii.- ent ineans tendingto close said valve, a trign ger lever disposed so that the end thereof may engage said stein and hold said valve in open position, resilient ineans tending to hold said lever in position with said valve open, a rod ot a different coelticient ot expansion than said tube connected thereto and to said lever and arranged to trip the lever upon extinguislnnent of said pilot light and thereby ellect closure ot said ilve, and manually operable ineans to open said valve and perinit restoration oi said trigger lever to open position.

e. ifiV device of the character described pted to be connected to av tank coinn the combination of a pilot light, lve having a stein, a springs; mountaid stein tending to close said lever disposed so that the y engage said stern and hold said valve in open position, a spring tend-- i' hold said lever in open position, a member actuated by the heat lot light engaging said lever and to trip the latter upon `the efisaid pilot light and there ie closure oi said valve, a than lo member actuated by the heat et "at engaging said lever arranged to upon the tank reaching a niariniuin temperature, and inanel means to open said valve Init restoration of said lever.

evice et the character described, Lie of a lined ort, a pilot a heat ible sup- 1,581,868. i *e B a trigger lever exiosed so that it may enthe latter upon extinguishment of seid pilot gage said stem an hold said valve in open 11 ht and `thereby effect closure -of said position, resilient means tending to hold .va ve. l said leverl with said valve in `open posi- In witness that I claimtheforegoing I 5 tion, u rod of a different coecient of exhave hereunto subscribed my ,name `this19th pansion than said tube secured thereto and day of June, 1924. l being connected to said lever so as to trip WILLIAM ALFORD MER-RICK'.` 

